Mesa County Valley School District 51

What is Child Find???

Child Find is a part of the Special Education Law, "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act", which makes it a free and mandated service.

Child Find is a community effort to assure that children with special needs are identified, evaluated, and appropriately served - birth through twenty one.

Child Find is broken down to the following age categories. Please select the appropriate category:

• School Aged Children (5 - 21) are referred to the school that serves their home address. (This also includes children attending private school.)
• Children 3 to non-school age 5 are referred to the Child Find office at Hawthorne, 410 Hill Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501 ~ 970-254-5405.
• Children birth to 3 are referred to STRIVE. Their phone number is 970-241-5403.

Follow these steps in completing the necessary Child Find paperwork:

• Complete the Child Find Referral Questionnaire. Complete the appropriate Ages and Stages Questionnaire.
• An Ages and Stages Questionnaire needs to be completed with every Child Find referral birth to non-school age 5. Ages and Stages Questionnaires are age sensitive. Please calculate the child's age at the time of the Child Find referral and print that questionnaire. Ages and Stages Questionnaires need to be completed by parents or caregivers.
• Return completed questionnaires to the Child Find Office, located at 410 Hill Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501